Read Online Major Lord David by Sherry Lynn Ferguson - Free Book Online

their favorite-yes? As
the youngest, and the one daughter?”
    “No, Your Grace” Billie could shake her head with some
conviction. “I am not the favorite.”
    “Perhaps there is no favorite, then. As I am equally fond
of all my grandsons.” The comment reminded Billie that it
was most certainly strange that, given the situation, David’s
grandmere had not once mentioned his name or the supposed
engagement.
    All three ladies turned toward the hall door at the sound of
new arrivals.
    “I know that you know Hayden, Miss Billie, but perhaps your aunt has not yet met my eldest grandson?” As the famously
fair Marquis of Hayden entered the room, with his confident
manner and dressed in his usual dark-garbed splendor, Billie
read obvious affection in the duchess’ gaze. But she read
something else as well-a sadness, or a concern-that shadowed the elderly woman’s welcoming smile.

    “Grandmere,” Hayden acknowledged, bowing gracefully
before her and kissing her hand. He bowed to Billie and Ephie
as well, then presented the two gentlemen accompanying him,
Lord Knowles and Lord Demarest. “M’friend Gillen is due to
be wed in a fortnight, ladies, and is runnin’ about like a demented chicken, else I should have had the pleasure of presentin’ him to you. And Demarest here has just announced his
betrothal to Lady Constance. I swear these weddings and betrothals are a positive contagion! Soon I shan’t have a single
soul to whom to speak! I must rely upon my friend Knowles
here to fill the gap. The gap with the gape, eh grandmere?”
    The company laughed. One could not spend more than a
few days in town without hearing of Lord Knowles’ loquacity.
And indeed, Lord Knowles, taking no offense, proceeded to
regale the company with the circumstances of Demarest’s offer to Lady Constance, in such detail that Billie noticed that
only Aunt Euphemia remained entranced.
    “Miss Billie”-Hayden leaned close to address her-“will
you step aside here a moment?” He was indicating one of the
window embrasures, where the afternoon sun warmed an oak
sill and highlighted the gold tassels upon the drapes. The window opened upon a small side garden alive with jonquils. As
they stood apart, Hayden drew a letter from his watered-silk
waistcoat. “I have been tasked”-he did not look at her but
at the company as he handed Billie the sealed paper-“with
delivering this.”
    Billie recognized the hand, with its direction to Miss Caswell.
She had last seen that writing in January, but on heavier paper.
She knew because she had kept the earlier note.

    Quickly she broke the seal and read: I shall be in town the
first week in March. Will I see you? D. Trent
    Billie’s lips firmed as she passed the open page, empty save
for that one unsatisfactory line, back to Hayden.
    “‘Tis an outrageous waste of paper,” she remarked. “And
much too cryptic.”
    “Cryptic?” Hayden’s eyebrows rose. “M’ brother is invariably direct, Miss Caswell.” He scanned the note, then looked
up at her. “I rather think, Miss Billie, that you should comprehend that he sends you a question. It is up to you whether he
sees you or not.”
    “He might more properly have asked, `May I see you?”’
    “Ah, but David sometimes forgets to be proper.” Hayden
smiled. “And he never begs”
    “Are you often your brother’s interpreter?” she asked sharply.
    “He has rarely needed one. But, yes, when he is inarticulate.
As he seems to be lately.”
    She did not understand his look, and glanced away. Myles
Trent, Marquis of Hayden, had always mystified her; she believed it too late to unravel him now.
    “Perhaps,” she ventured softly, as her gaze sought the other
visitors, “he should also have tasked you with explaining why
he left so abruptly in January.”
    “He is a soldier, Miss Caswell. No explanation is necessary.”
    “We are at peace. My brother Jack sold up last summer.”
    “How happy for